It Happened More Than Once
by tromana
Summary: Oneshot collection of 'five times' fics New: Time Only Changes  If You Let It : Sometimes, even Time Lords find themselves in want of more time. Or, five times Romana wished she could stop time.
1. Decision Making Exercise

**Title:** Decision Making Exercise  
**Author:** tromana  
**Rating:** T  
**Characters:** Romana/Doctor, Romana/Leela  
**Summary:** …or five times Romana changed her mind  
**Disclaimer: **Still not mine.  
**Spoilers:** The End of Time  
**Notes:** Still not mine. Prompt from hoshinekoyasha.

**Decision Making Exercise**

i

When the President of Gallifrey first approached her for this task, she'd been somewhat disconcerted. After all, she'd barely just graduated from the Academy and had been so looking forward to starting her thesis. And not only that, but it was practically unheard of for him to leave his quarters to spontaneously visit young Time Lords, never mind proposition them with the idea of the trip of a lifetime.

Her gut instinct had told her to say no, so she did just that. She wasn't ready to leave the planet and it would be a good couple of hundred years until she should even consider the very concept. Besides, the Gallifreyan Flutterwing was such an intriguing species and it deserved the time and energy to be applied thoroughly to it.

But as she slept, her decision shifted. The Flutterwings, an indigenous species, were still going to be there when she got back. Anyway, nobody had ever had the chance to study a Time Lord as, well, insane as the Doctor and he would be just as interesting a subject for her thesis as the tiny insects would have bee. So, the moment she woke, she returned to his quarters and informed him that her decision had indeed changed. He smiled benignly, as if he had always known she would.

It was only when she discovered that the President had actually been a Guardian of Time when she realised he probably always did. It also made her question somewhat whether or not the change of heart had been entirely hers.

ii

When she'd been given her briefing, she'd automatically assumed that she would be the one holding the Doctor's hand throughout their task. Her academic career had been stellar and she'd studied countless theories of working in the field. In short, she was confident of her abilities and despite her initial apprehension, she knew she was well suited to the position. Besides, she'd checked the Doctor's records and had been ever so slightly horrified at just how dense he was and the fact that they were trusting him, of all the Time Lords, to do a task of such importance. It was partially what stopped her from admitting that maybe he was right about the fact her lack of field experience might just be holding her back on occasion. It took a lot for Romana to admit that maybe there had been a couple of flaws in her education, but still. At least she was making up for it now by expanding her horizons by travelling with the Doctor.

It wasn't until the Doctor actually proved he was somewhat clever, despite his diabolical grades, by solving a particularly complex equation approximately five seconds before she did that she decided to revise her opinion entirely. After all, it was entirely possible that in the years he had been travelling that he had picked up a thing or two. And to have survived for so long when he came across hostile creatures time and time ago proved that if nothing else, he had to be rather quick thinking.

Of course she'd never admit that she thought he was clever, relatively speaking. His ego was already more than over-inflated. Besides, the only reason why he appeared to be cleverer was because he was older and had more life experience. That had absolutely nothing to do with actual intelligence at all.

iii

At first, she thought she'd never leave E-Space.

The pocket universe seemed to have trouble after trouble, all of which needed someone, anyone to come and solve it. The thrill of finding the answers for a group of deserving individuals never really grew old and their appreciation certainly made her feel warm inside. Only problem was, the more she thought about this specific universe, the more their issues seemed to appear to be trivial, pointless. Sooner or later, they'd always be able to sort it out themselves. The problems on Gallifrey, however…

Bending to K9's height, Romana asked her mobile computer for his opinion. Of course, he wouldn't state it directly and only gave her it in a roundabout fashion, pretending it were fact. He agreed though, for even though he was a computer and shouldn't have an opinion, the issues they had been dealing with had been boring him too. Once they were back on Gallifrey, he was confident in his mistress' abilities to fix any of the damage he'd obtained since inhabiting E-Space.

When they reached Gallifrey, after a long journey, she knew they'd make the right decision. Finally, she had a challenge at her fingertips that was worthy of her skills.

iv

When Leela approached Romana for the first time, she almost laughed in her face.

What possibly could she see in a human savage who was simply bored because her husband had disappeared? Besides, she was President now and if she had been interested, if she had reciprocated in Leela's emotions, the scandal would have been inconceivable. She remembered that it had been bad enough when Andred had taken Leela as his wife, so Leela becoming Romana's mistress… well it was scarcely worth thinking about.

As she waved Leela off, Romana found herself somewhat grateful that her eyes were still in their sockets.

It was some time after she hired the lithe huntress as her bodyguard that yet again, Romana's opinion shifted somewhat. Leela was intelligent, entertaining and kept Romana on her toes. And why should a political career mean she should forget about having a personal life entirely? It wasn't as if engaging in a sexual relationship with her was going to have any severe repercussions on anyone excepting the two individuals involved.

Of course, Gallifrey and its inhabitants were still rather sheltered. One day, they would be able to cope with the concept that their President was in a relationship with someone who was not only the same gender but a different species to them. But, for now… she'd have to keep it relatively quiet. Besides, being happier would mean she would be a better President, right?

v

Romana was lucky to survive the Time War, even if she had had to sacrifice a body or two to ensure that she lived. Surprisingly enough, it was some Nekkistanis that nursed her back to full health and naturally, she appreciated their help. But it wasn't long until the tiny rock of a planet they had been hiding on began to make her feel trapped, enclosed and the moment she finished a time and space machine suitable to her needs, she left, but not without showing her gratitude first.

She had some feelings that maybe she should go and look for the Doctor. She could sense him, right in the back of the mind and knew that he'd survived the war. Along with the Master, in one form or another. Not the best of company for the very last of a species, but surely it would be better than nothing, right?

When she landed on Earth (oh, how unsurprising that both of them had chosen that backwater planet to inhabit since Gallifrey's disappearance), she immediately changed her mind. Partially, because every human being was wearing the Master's form and partially because seeing the Master's face(s) reminded her just how much she couldn't stand either of their egos.

They could screw it and sort out their own problems. Besides, if the Doctor and the Master had managed to survive, surely other, more deserving Time Lords, should have found a way to escape their inevitable demise too?

end


	2. Dinner Time

**A/N: **So... this is my Doctor Who equivalent to 'Five Times' for _the Mentalist_. Mainly, because Hoshi has given me so many prompts for this collection and I need somewhere to put them all instead of spamming my profile with millions of fics of this structure.

Thanks to celticfox for reviewing Decision Making Exercise.

x tromana

* * *

**Title:** Dinner Time**  
Author:** tromana  
**Rating:** T  
**Characters:** Ramsay, Charley, Eight  
**Summary:** …or five times Ramsay ate something he shouldn't have  
**Disclaimer: **Still not mine.  
**Notes:** Prompt from hoshinekoyasha.

**Dinner Time**

i

Charley spent a lot of time with the Vortisaur. It was only natural, after all, she was the one who brought her on board the TARDIS and therefore, she felt as if she owed the creature something. Obviously, being unable to communicate with him, the most she felt able to do was just spend time with him. And he seemed to respond to it pretty well, sort of clucking affectionately whenever he saw her.

"Stop it, Ramsay!"

Charley laughed affectionately as the time sensitive creature started nipping at her wrist. He wasn't aiming to bite her, it was just an friendly nibble here and there, the way that a cat or dog might attack their owner in a playful manner. Charley was pleased with this though; it showed that they had bonded somewhat and that the Vortisaur cared for her.

She was less impressed, however, when he finally managed to wrestle her watch off her wrist and he swallowed it in one gulp.

ii

The TARDIS was empty. Well, apart from Ramsay of course, but the Doctor and Charley never bothered to take him on their little excursions outside of the blue box. Instead, they let him roam free in the blue box and run off his energy any way that he saw fit. This wasn't Charley's decision, she loved the creature and would have much preferred it for him to join them. The Doctor, however, was aware of just how much damage Ramsay could do if let loose and forbade her from taking him wherever they landed.

It didn't take long for him to come across the TARDIS' extensive wardrobe. To most of the Doctor's passengers, this is simply a wonderful chance to try on clothing from times past or yet to come. They get lost amongst the fabric, torn between awe and fits of hysterics. Ramsay saw one thing and one thing only: dinner time. After all, these clothes had travelled through time and space and he could taste the vortex on them.

It was all simply too tempting.

It took the Doctor some time to realise that Ramsay had been shredding his clothing. He tried to punish the creature, but quickly learned that whatever he did, the Vortisaur either found a way around it or just didn't care and found another way to wreak havoc. But that didn't stop him trying, though.

iii

When Charley mentioned just how much she loved Christmas, the Doctor, naturally, decided he had to impress her. After all, she was a wonderful companion, one of the best and when you were one of the best, you deserved the best. It took him a while, but he soon managed to find appropriate Christmas decorations, the right foods that were (just about) in date and as for his gift, well, that was on the way. Even in the TARDIS, it was quite hard to create snow so they would have to go to it rather than have it inside. Besides, it would have been quite dangerous having melted snow in the corridors and though the Doctor wasn't exactly famed for being sensible, some things were just a step too far.

Charley had been thrilled with the decorations and the snow. She even loved the kitten that the Doctor had bought her as a friend for Ramsay. As the turkey was cooking, they wrapped up warm and rushed outside. Snow never lasted forever and Charley had been aching to make a snowman.

It wasn't exactly to Ramsay's taste as there wasn't enough time involved, but whilst they had fun in the snow, he enjoyed the turkey quite a bit.

iv

The kitten didn't last long in the TARDIS.

Charley didn't really notice at first. She was too busy having fun exploring other times and other worlds to really notice what a young cat was doing. And out of her two pets, Ramsay, naturally was far more exciting, what with being a dinosaur-esque creature which was time sensitive.

The Doctor did, however.

For a start, his trousers hadn't become a scratching post and every other cat he'd ever met had loved to climb his trousers. The cat litter hadn't been touched and he was certain the animal hadn't been relieving itself elsewhere. Besides, the pile of cat food was growing by the day (for some reason, Ramsay had remained disinterested in the reformed meat designed for the little hairballs) and the cat must have been starving if he wasn't eating that.

When Charley was sleeping, the Doctor approached the creature. They glared at each other before the Doctor attempted to scratch his nose and he shied away. With a sigh, the Doctor glanced the Vortisaur up and down. He might as well be completely blunt with it, he surmised.

"Did you eat Charley's cat?"

Ramsay blinked.

The Doctor took that as a yes.

v

Every night, Charley had her routine. A small, yet important, part of that was placing the TARDIS key on her dressing table. It meant that it was the last thing she saw as she fell asleep and the first thing she saw when she woke. It also meant that she knew that the Doctor trusted her, that he cared about her.

Ramsay, however, was slight of foot and able to move through the TARDIS corridors without disturbing people who were first asleep.

When Charley woke, the TARDIS key had gone. After several minutes of frantically searching her room, she ended up marching out of the room to find the Doctor. She needed to give him an earful about giving a lady some privacy when she was at her most vulnerable state. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to have a clue about the key, but did accuse her of losing it, of all things.

"I didn't lose it, I…" she paused, catching the sight of Ramsay out of the corner of her eye. "Ramsay ate it."

"Well you can wait until it comes out of the other end."

"But Doctor…"

"He's your pet."

"Well, fine, but I do think you're being terribly unfair. On both of us. Ramsay was only doing what comes naturally to him, weren't you Ramsay?"

The Vortisaur clicked brightly. He was already thinking about his next meal.

end


	3. Introductions

**A/N: **Very long while since I last wrote a Doctor Who Five Times fic. Oh well, such is life.

Thanks to Derek Metaltron and celticfox for reviewing _Dinner Time_ oh so long ago.

x tromana

* * *

**Title:** Introductions  
**Author:** tromana  
**Rating:** K+  
**Characters:** Doctor/River, Rose  
**Summary:** Five times River Song met the Doctor and Rose without introducing herself and the one time she did.  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine.  
**Notes: **Written for carlisle_autumn as a part of the holiday fics challenge. Rose isn't my favourite character to write for, so I hope I've done her justice.

I

"Oh, Sweetie, what are you doing here?"

"_Sweetie?"_ both the Doctor and Rose hissed at one another.

Rose furrowed her brow and the Doctor shrugged his shoulders. Neither of them had seen this woman before in their lives. Rose was particularly unsure, and it was hardly surprising. Sometimes, she forgot that the Doctor was a time travelling alien. He looked so human, with his close-shaven head and leather jacket. Of course he was going to have other friends and acquaintances, and in strange situations.

But did it really have to be a flirtatious forty-something, who clearly thought way more of the Doctor than she did of him?

Really?

"Who are you?"

"Really? You think this is the time?" she asked, almost amused. "We're in the middle of the Falklands War and…"

She shook her – admittedly fabulous – head of hair before throwing each of them a gun to use. The Doctor, naturally, looked at it in disgust before discarding it. Rose, however, accepted that the woman (however threatening, yet not, in a way) may have had a point. Critically, she looked at it, trying to figure out exactly how to handle it. She could feel the Doctor judging her for it, but she'd always wanted to try handling a gun.

"Oh rely on your sonic screwdriver, then," the woman said to the Doctor. "See if I care."

II

"River!"

River turned around, surprised at the call of her name.

Even more surprising was the person who had called it.

There was only the vaguest memory of who this woman was; River remembered selling her a coffee, what felt like a lifetime ago. So many people had walked through that door and the only reason she remembered this young girl specifically was because of the company she kept: the Doctor. More specifically, the war-wounded, short-haired one, with piercing blue eyes.

But that was beside the point.

What the hell was she doing here?

River had just figured out she was in the middle of the Gobi Desert and was in the middle of wondering what had gone wrong with her vortex manipulator. And now, this bleached blonde girl had joined her.

There was a cough – presumably from the sand – behind her. She turned to see the Doctor, looking painfully young in his pinstriped suit. River smiled. She liked this body, though it wasn't the one she was most familiar with.

"Need a lift?" he said, indicating to the helicopter behind them.

"Sure," she said, before frowning. There was something wrong. "You're human."

River frowned. How could this man be the Doctor and not at exactly the same time? What was going on?

"Long story. Oh and, I think you're in the wrong universe."

"_What?_"

III

The Doctor had his tux out. He always liked situations when he could wear it, though sometimes, he had to question whether or not it was actually cursed. For some strange reason, bad things always managed to happen whenever he was wearing it. He wasn't one to believe in fate or superstition – there was usually a logical explanation behind both – but he couldn't help but wonder what if?

Still, Rose was happy. And that was the main thing. It made going to this ball (in the 51st century, no less) and dragging out his unlucky tux worth it. Even better, they had crossed paths with Jack, who was busy dancing with Rose and a fish lady at the same time, on the dance floor.

He popped a vol-au-vent in his mouth. Three thousand years of growth and development and finger food had barely changed a jot.

"Doctor, look who's here!"

A very bemused woman dressed in red and manicured to perfection was being dragged in his direction. A very familiar woman, to boot. She also seemed typically unimpressed by Rose's manhandling.

"How dare y-" she started, but stopped as soon as she clapped eyes on the Doctor. "Doctor? What are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same of you, River Song."

"How do you know my name?"

"Spoilers," he said with a cheeky wink.

IV

River had been stuck in this Universe, or Pete's World, as the Doctor insisted upon calling it for longer than she had cared to admit.

After her rescue from the Gobi Desert, she had quickly parted company with the human Doctor and Rose. Not because she didn't like the idea of using Rose's supplies as a part of Torchwood, but because their perpetual need for public displays of affection. She'd never imagined the Doctor (in any form, even one which was essentially just a poor man's clone) falling for such a young human girl. Then again, even though she barely knew Rose, she seemed very different from that first meeting they'd shared.

Besides, she had a feeling that getting back to her own universe would require more than just the right technology. She had a suspicion that it required a lot of luck too. Or rather, the right time, place, equipment, weather _and_ luck.

She'd come back to say goodbye. She'd found the loophole.

Instead, she returned to a Dalek invasion.

The scourge of the universe just had to exist in this one too, didn't it?

Still, there was nothing like blowing the heads off a couple of Daleks, bidding farewell to a dear loved one and his human companion, before sailing off into the set.

Or at least, your home universe, at any rate.

V

The Doctor stood outside of the Starbucks, puffing and sighing.

Humans and their addiction to caffeine. And chips. And other junk food in general. The more time went on, the worse they seemed to get.

And Rose was pretty damn bad, as it was.

Still, he knew he should have been grateful for the company. Especially after the Time War. But he hadn't wanted her to join him; he'd wanted to wallow in self-pity for a while. And she had kind of managed to get herself attached somehow and now he couldn't shake her off. Rose just seemed to want to stay. But who could blame her? Not when they were faced with the universe in the palm of their hands?

Now, even though he was loathe to admit it, he was beginning to grow just a little bit fond of her as well.

Even if she did force him to waste hours of his existence, waiting for her to buy a coffee.

Eventually, he grew so frustrated, that he stormed into the café. Rose was at the counter, finally being served. Despite the arguments from the other customers, the Doctor stomped up to the counter. He scowled at them and crossed his arms as he glared at Rose.

The woman turned on her feet to hand Rose her coffee.

"Hello, Sweetie."

VI

"Hello, Doctor," she said, with a warm smile. "Hello Rose."

She sat, looking absolutely serene and Rose couldn't help but feel more than a little overawed. Of course, she had only seen this woman twice before, but she couldn't help it. It was obvious just how much affection she held for the Doctor. That, and she had quite obviously lived, was secure in her own body and so sure of herself. When meeting a woman like that, it was hard not to feel a bit intimidated.

And she knew her name. Without being informed of it.

The woman kissed the Doctor lightly on the cheek and Rose made a point of looking away. In response, she clutched hold of the Doctor's left hand a little more tightly, trying desperately to stake her claim. She loved the Doctor, and had done so for a long while now. She had promised him forever and she was going to give him that.

"Guards! Dinner, please," the woman retorted.

This was meant to be the Queen of Sheba (literally) and instead, she was a familiar face.

"So…" Rose started.

"You're not the Queen of Sheba," the Doctor said lightly.

"I am," the woman answered back, indignant. "I just also happen to be Professor River Song."

Somehow knowing a name didn't make a lot of difference to how Rose felt.


	4. Time Only Changes If You Let It

**A/N: **Been a while since I last updated with a Doctor Who piece. This is one of my two 'bitty' bangs for the Five Times Big Bang over on LiveJournal.

x tromana

* * *

**Title:** Time Only Changes (If You Let It)  
**Author:** **tromana  
Rating: **T  
**Characters/Pairings:** Romana I, Romana II, others  
**Summary:** Sometimes, even Time Lords find themselves in want of more time.  
**Warnings:** None.  
**Notes:** Thanks to **Miss Peg** for the beta. Written for the **fivetimesbb**

**Time Only Changes (If You Let It)**

I

She'd heard all of the stories and none of them good.

It was meant to make you run away, or if not, drive you insane.

Very rarely, maybe once in several million, did it have a different effect on an individual. One where it inspired them rather than terrified them or converted them into lunatics. However, it required a very special soul and almost unique circumstances for that to occur. It was virtually unheard of. And besides, it hadn't happened for millennia. Even for a Time Lord, it was an incredibly long time.

Of course, even at her tender age of seven, Romanadvoratrelundar knew she was one of a kind. It wasn't arrogance, wasn't self-importance. No, she definitely knew she was the only one of her. At least for now, anyway. For she hadn't yet gained the precious ability of regeneration, so there certainly wasn't any other hers wandering about. Yet.

She didn't need her parents or her classmates to solidify her feelings. Nor did she need her tutors to tell her as such either, though Tutor Braxiatel did insist so.

Romana watched patiently as the other Time Lords in training took their turns. She watched with a critical eye as they either bolted away, to be destined to forever run from responsibility (or goodness knew what else) or were slowly, but surely driven mad. Insanity or terror, it was hardly much of a gift, was it?

However, that was the price a Time Lord had to pay.

If you wanted to graduate, if you wanted the gifts bestowed upon the species, you had to gaze into the Untempered Schism. It was only with the understanding of what the vortex held that you were capable of unlocking the powers hidden inside. The vortex was the key that opened the vault; even Time Tots knew that.

And invariably, people were willing to do it, regardless of the cost.

So was she.

Her name was called. Romanadvoratrelundar didn't feel nervous; she had never felt like that before, so what was the point in starting now? Instead, she carefully picked her way to the Eye of Harmony, ready to gaze upon it and learn what she was destined to be.

She stared.

And suddenly, everything made sense. How the vortex worked, how the Time Lords interacted and could control Time itself. Where she was to stand in place of the Universe.

She wished she could stare into it forever.

II

She knew just how much of an honour it was for one so young to be meeting the President.

Braxiatel had fussed over her, wanting to make sure that every detail was just so. That her clothing was appropriate, that she didn't have a hair loose, that she looked like the respectable young Time Lord she was.

After all, there had to be a reason as to why the President of Gallifrey wanted to meet with Romanadvoratrelundar.

She hadn't the faintest idea why. While she had been top of her class, she wasn't sure that would be enough to catch his attention. Romanadvoratrelundar hadn't quite decided where to take her studies next, but she knew there was no rush. Time Lords could live for millennia, after all. Why should she rush a decision that had repercussions on the rest of her life and risk making the wrong choice?

But the Gallifreyan Flutterwings were an awfully tempting choice. The fact that Time Lords lived side by side with a creature so fleeting, so fragile had always intrigued her. It was what made her want to study them further.

They had something she didn't know how to appreciate: limitations on time itself. And that was something she craved to understand more of, especially as it was unlikely she'd learn any other way.

Romanadvoratrelundar sat quietly, patiently. The President wasn't a man to be rushed. He wasn't meeting her; he was gracing her with his presence. This was a man she knew that she could learn a lot from and she had already made several mental notes to get as much out of this conversation as feasibly possible.

When he finally arrived, the meeting was short and to the point.

He was almost hypnotic, in a way, and Romanadvoratrelundar almost felt herself going under a trance. Almost.

What was even more surprising were the contents of his speech. Or rather, his proposition to her.

In lieu of studying the Flutterwings, he wanted her to work with the infamous renegade, the Doctor. To collect the pieces of the Key to Time.

Against her better instincts, she answered yes almost immediately.

When she took the tracer in her hands, she couldn't help but wonder if she'd made the wrong decision. It was unlike her to make a snap decision like that.

What she would have given for just a few more minutes to make sure she knew that she was making exactly the right one for her.

III

A lot has happened since she joined the Doctor. Sometimes, she wondered if it was too much.

If there was such a thing as too much, that was.

It had opened up her eyes, to say the very least. Back home, on Gallifrey, she had been so sheltered, so naïve.

She had allowed the Guardians of Time to manipulate her, to convince her to join the Doctor in the first place. How could she have not realised that it _wasn't_ the President she was talking to? How could she have even believed that he'd have time for a wide-eyed, innocent young student, as she had been at the time?

Romana, as she now favoured, wasn't quite so innocent anymore. She even considered the fact that she had been conned a blessing in disguise. There was absolutely no way she would like to be that naïve again.

And not only that, but she had been forced to endure her first regeneration.

The Doctor had thought she was fine, after she'd been tortured by the Black Guardian, had thought that there had been no repercussions. But Romana was just putting a brave face on it; there had been internal damage and it was slowly but surely wearing her thin.

So, she chose to regenerate. She chose her next form before she lost any control over it. It was one of the blessings of being a woman, after all. You were allowed a little bit of vanity once in a while; it was acceptable.

However, it also reminded her of just how fleeting time could be. That body shouldn't have been worn out quite so quickly; it hadn't even been two hundred years old yet. And however nice (and different) her new body was, they said you never forgot your first.

At least this one was still regal; the same form as Princess Astra. That was better than nothing, she supposed.

But still, with the Doctor, time never stopped. There was constant running, and fighting, and mind games, and trickery and even more running. It was all they ever seemed to do these days. He, naturally, seemed to thrive upon it.

She wasn't quite so sure.

Romana liked spending time with the Doctor, terribly so. He kept her stimulated like no other Time Lord on Gallifrey had managed to do so, not even Braxiatel. But sometimes, it was nice to take the time to smell the roses.

That was a concept he just didn't seem to appreciate.

IV

The roar from outside was almost deafening. Romana had grown accustomed to loud noises and the like. With the Doctor, she'd had to, as explosions and shouting were pretty much an everyday part of his existence.

The near-silence of E-Space had almost been a pleasant reprieve. Not that she hadn't had to endure her fair share of battles there, as well.

She wasn't quite sure what made her decide to return to Gallifrey. Since being with the Doctor, all she had ever wanted to do was make a difference. The ancient society was corrupt; somebody needed to change it. And she did still, somehow, have the respect of a certain Irving Braxiatel behind her…

If it hadn't been for him, she wouldn't have had half a chance within the realm of politics.

It wasn't because her knowledge wasn't sound; no, politics had been one of her strongest subjects, when she had been in the academy. The problem was that she had essentially exiled herself for a while, not just from the planet, but the entirety of N-Space.

Because she had been trying to run from the Time Lords themselves. Because she hadn't been ready to go home at all.

Things were different now. As lovely as the Tharils were, she was ready for a new challenge. Loneliness grew painful, after a time. Sometimes, she just found herself needing the companionship of other Time Lords. And as for K9, as faithful as he was, he was just her dog. Of course, she couldn't leave him behind, though. She fixed him up, found ways to make him compatible with N-Space that the Doctor hadn't managed and was able to bring him back with her.

She peeked through the curtains. The crowd was gathering, waiting to hear her each and every word. A landslide victory, or so her advisors had said. They could scarcely believe it. How could the woman who had turned her back on Gallifrey become the most popular candidate for Presidency in such a short period of time?

Truth be told, they made it all seem so simple. Like she had just whisked back onto the planet, announced what she had wanted and been handed it on a silver platter. But she had worked long, hard hours for this. She_ deserved_ it.

She wanted, no, needed to savour this moment. Try and let it last forever. Romana knew she wouldn't be faced with such massive support again. No President in the past had ever done so. Not even Rassilon.

"My fellow Time Lords…"

V

All around was a disaster zone.

They'd thought they'd been able to handle it, once they had stopped the Dogma Virus. But of course, the attacks had weakened the Time Lords, had put them into a vulnerable state. The once omnipresent and powerful species had a flaw in its armour and their many enemies saw fit to finally try and destroy them for once and for all.

Whilst most of her kind hadn't needed to take the antidote, the one which prevented regeneration, Romana was one of the few that had needed it. As the (ex) President, at least the one who had been at the helm when the disaster had started, she had seen it as her duty to act as a guinea pig. In this Time War, it left her more vulnerable than most and she knew it.

But that didn't bother her. What did was seeing the state of affairs it had led to.

They'd resurrected Time Lords. Dangerous ones. Rassilon, the Rani, the Master. They were the kind that no man should ever dare face and she knew it. But what choice did they have? To have any chance of surviving, they needed their most intelligent and devious of minds to outwit the enemy.

The Daleks, that was.

This thing sitting before her was their creation. Of course it was. No other Time Lord had the right frame of mind to think up the ultimate killing machine. It went against the very beliefs, the core principles, of most of their species. Most Time Lords were more interested in preservation, in maintaining order, rather than thinking up ways to instigate mass change and mass destruction.

That was half of the difficulty she'd faced during her Presidency. It was half of their problems now they were in the middle of an unwinnable war.

She glanced down. Of course, it had to come down to a big red button.

Why not follow every cliché in the book?

Her hand dithered for a moment. If only she had more time to make the decision. If only Gallifrey had more time, full stop. The once great and good species was being eradicated to nothing. In reality, Romana knew the only way to stop the Daleks was to take the Time Lords down with them, but that didn't mean she wished there wasn't another choice. But of course, there wasn't. It was this, or doom the entirety of existence to the scourge that was the Daleks.

She closed her eyes and pressed it.


End file.
